The invention is directed to a system for shredding scrap materials located in a flume.
In the course of a machine operation, scrap material, generally in the form of helical or other shaped metal chips are generated. The chips, referred to as wet chips, also are coated with a lubricant that is applied to the metal material during the course of a machining operation. Often, it is required to transport the scrap material from one or more machine locations to a shredder station where undesired bales of scrap material or other undesired large pieces of material are shredded. Following shredding, the scrap material or wet chips pass to a chip processing system where the wet chips are centrifuged during which lubricant is separated from the chips. The separated fluid is recaptured while the dry chips are blown to a dry chip container or collection site.
There are various systems for conveying wet chip material from a machine center (a center generally comprising one or more machine stations). In some instances, mechanical conveyors are utilized to transport the scrap material from a machine center to a shredder. In other instances, important to the present invention, the scrap material is transported in a flume from the machine center to a shredder. A flume is defined as a fluid or liquid conveyor system in which wet chips are transported through a fluid flow to at least a shredder station.
Heretofore, systems incorporating a flume as a means for conveying wet chips, employed a trough disposed in the floor of a building or structure. Liquid coolant was pumped through the trough. As wet chips passed from a machine discharge chute into the trough, they mixed with the liquid and were pumped along the length of the trough to a receiving tank. There the wet chips would drop on to a conventional drag filter mechanical conveyor partially disposed in the tank. The wet chips would be mechanically conveyed to a wet chip centrifugal separator processing system where fluid would be removed from the chips and recirculated back into the system while dry chips would be directed to a dry chip collection.
While this wet chip transport system is satisfactory for a number of applications, it is not particularly suitable in all instances. In some situations, it is not desired or convenient to place a trough in the floor of a building. It has been found that environmental concerns exist in properly maintaining unwanted debris from building up in the trough. Further, once a trough is formed in a flume transport system, it becomes more difficult to later relocate a machine center or flume transport.
Further, it has been found that, in some instances, as the wet chips travel in the flume, helical scrap pieces intertwine with one another forming bales of material. The bales can clog the pump which pumps the liquid and wet chips in the flume generally at a rate of about five to ten feet per second. Accordingly, a shredder is incorporated in the system ahead of the pump station for the purpose of shredding wet chip bales and any other undesired material into smaller pieces. Previously, the shredder was positioned at a location outside the trough. The wet chips would enter the shredder and, following a shredding operation, shredded wet chips were dropped or reintroduced into the flume and thereafter transported to the chip processing or other workstation(s).
What is desired is to have a wet chip transport system in which the flume is not located in the floor of a structure. Rather, the trough is positioned above ground so that, if necessary, the trough can be disassembled and a new trough positioned as desired thereby allowing flexibility in locating wet chip flume systems.
Additionally, it is desired to have a shredder assembly disposed directly in the trough path in order that wet chips need not be diverted from the flume. It is desired to have the wet chips in the flume pass directly into a shredder without the wet chips having to be removed from the liquid containing trough for shredding purposes.
The invention disclosed and claimed herein serves to obviate the above identified problems and achieve the above stated desires while at the same time achieving proper wet chip flow in the flume. Shredding of wet chips can occur without removing wet chips or bales of wet chips from the flume during shredding. The shredder is positioned within the trough whereby bales of wet chips or other unwanted large metal pieces pass through the shredder whose shredding mechanism is at least partially disposed in and traverses the trough. Further, the trough containing the fluid coolant preferably is positioned above ground.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, drawings and claims.